The Journey of a Lifetime

Spices of the world
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: darwin Bell via Compfight

Have you ever heard the expression variety is the spice of life?  

The meaning behind that saying is one of the reasons I love teaching language arts.  We have so many different avenues to explore which keeps life interesting.  Every day we think about something different.  To begin with, the basic skills we develop are varied: reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, speaking, and listening.  All of those skills involve using language in some way.  Add to that the manner in which we approach the development of these skills: small groups, class discussions, games (a list of choices here: diagram races, Jeopardy, Bingo, baseball), dramatic readings with costumes, traditional note taking, technology (more options: the blog, QR code scavenger hunts, Educreations, Quizlet, Prezi, Powerpoint, Chictionary, iPads, iMovie, Skype, etc), simulations, field trips.  Finally, we have a myriad of materials at our disposal: myths, novels, informational text, poems, short stories, essays, and biographies and a plethora of topics: The Odyssey, Jason and the Argonauts, Antigone, Crispin, Beowulf, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Under the Blood Red Sun, Tangerine, The Wednesday Wars, a list too long to continue.

Is it any wonder I am constantly saying, “We need to spend the whole day in language arts!”?

This past week we used our speaking and listening skills to present oral reports about journeys we’d like to take.  We chose this topic as we completed our study of The Odyssey.  Odysseus’s voyage took ten years to complete.  He sailed to a multitude of locations around the Mediterranean.  He met strange people, ate unusual foods, and heard enchanting music.  In addition to ten years of his own life, the trip cost him the lives of his crew.  We thought about adventures we’d like to take: where would we go, how would we travel, what would it cost, and what would we see, hear, taste, and do.

Come fly with us around the world!

 

 

Here’s another student making an oral presentation that addresses some of the topics we’ve been thinking about in our class.

What road will you take on your journey in life?

Will you take the road less traveled by?

hundred-foot-journey-quad

Click to play clip

Will your journey be one of thousands of miles or a hundred feet?

How will you add spice to your own life and by doing so enrich the lives of others?

Will you become a world-wide traveler?  A president?  A chef?  A language arts teacher?

What is your journey?

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23 thoughts on “The Journey of a Lifetime

  1. I’ve never heard that quote, “variety is the spice of life.” I really like the video by kid president it’s not the first time I’ve seen it but it amazing.

    I guess I’m not one for variety so I’d take the most traveled road, I don’t like getting lost. I honestly don’t know what my journey will be, will it be or long short, I don’t know that’s what keeps life interesting not knowing. Life is interesting because it all just happens. People say “Don’t chose what you do let it chose you.” That quote means a lot because it says we have time, we have time to chose and we have time to make mistakes. I won’t know my journey until it happens.

    If you could go back would you? change a mistake? change your job?

    • Johnny, you are quite the philosopher! The road most traveled does appear to be the safer road, and I agree, should prevent you from getting lost. Both are important considerations when traveling. Some of what you wrote makes me think about the amount of control we have in our lives. Are we like leaves, going where the wind blows us? Or do we have some control over our journey? Perhaps it is a mix of the two, setting our course, getting blown a bit by the wind, and then readjusting our sails.
      Because I am content with where I am on my journey, I wouldn’t change much at this point. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had continued my schooling in the creative writing program I was accepted to rather than decline and begin teaching, but I know that one decision would impact so many others. Would I have met my husband if I went to graduate school in South Carolina? Would I have my children? I can’t imagine my life without them, so I can’t imagine going back to change other decisions.
      I hope that God is directing my path, and that I am listening to Him and adjusting my sails accordingly.
      ~Mrs. Donofrio

  2. Hello Mrs. Donfrio,

    Wow I like that say “variety is the spice of life.” I’ve never heard of that before. Also I really like that video. The journey that I would like to take would be, going to a really big collage and getting my degree in physical education. Then from there I would hopefully go to the NBA. Finally I will have a great family and live happily ever after. What is your favorite saying?

    ~ Connor ~

  3. My journey is gonna be like kid presidents is. I am not gonna be lazy I going to make something that will make the world be interesting.Also I am going to have many spices to change the world. What about you will you like to change the world with me?

  4. What’s my journey, My journey is one day I’ll grow up and finaly achive my goal to be a pro baseball player that has been my dream all my life.I bet you wanted to be a teacher all your life to but life brings you ups and downs but you just have to keep fighting. Did you ever say I don’t fell like you didn’t fell like trying ever again when something bad happened?

  5. I’m not sure what road I would take, for me it would depends on the timing. Where was I trying to go? What was I going to do there? If I was just walking home, then I’d probably take the safe secure path with road sings and such. If I was feeling adventurous, or wanted to try something new and different I’d take the less traveled path.

    I’m not sure what path I will take. I’m hoping to be a lawer, but if my path leads me somewhere else I’ll follow it. I believe that God has a plan for everyone and everything will work out ok if we follow his plan, not our own.

    What would you do if God had decided a destiny that you didn’t want? Would you follow it? Would you try and force the destiny you wanted? I don’t know yet for I’m young, but I hope I would try and follow God’s plan.

  6. Great blog post mrs. Donofrio! I really like the saying “variety is the spice of life”, because it tells us to mix things up a little and don’t just do all the same things all the time. The blog post about taking the long or short road, I would defenitley take the long road because I like doing different things, and making it interesting. What road would you choose Mrs. Donofrio?

    ~Dom

  7. My journey is gonna be like kid presidents. I am not gonna lazy i am going to make the world interesting. Also I am going to have many spices to change the world. Would you like helping me to change the world?

  8. Dear Mrs. Donofrio,
    I love your post! The videos, writing, pictures, and examples were grand! My journey of life is not going to be anything to fancy. I want to life life to its fullest. If I don’t get a certain job, I will try again and not morn or give up on it. When I grow up, I will definitely go to collage. I plan on being a marine biologist,some sort of teacher, or work at Walt Disney World in Florida. I also want to own a fun business, like a pottery place! Before you were a language arts teacher, what did you always dream of being when you grew up?
    Love,
    Grace

  9. I have never heard Variety is the spice of life.Its sounds weird but it makes
    kind of sense.The kid president thing was really funny and cool.I think. I heard about kid president on YouTube,he has a lot of subscribers.
    What is your favorite subject reading,writing,grammar,or vocabulary

    From,Will

  10. Dear Mrs. Donofrio,
    I have never heard the quote ” Variety is the spice of life”, but I really like it. I also liked the paragraph you wrote about what we do in class. It was very interesting.
    I think my journey in life will be a special one that is just for me. I would like to be a teacher, while also being a volleyball coach. I don’t think very many people take this path, so I guess I will take the less traveled road. Which road did you take?

  11. Hi Mrs.Donofrio
    Your post was very interesting! I have not seen The Hundred Foot Journey, but I plan to see it now.I loved all of the pictures and videos you used.

    The journey that I plan on having is moving to New York and going to N.Y.U. for college. I will chose to get a degree in Musical Theater and politics. I will audition for a few plays on Broadway while I am still in college to get started. After I graduate from college I will continue to audition and be in plays till I am in late 30s to early 40s. Then I will move to Washington D.C. and become the White House Press Secretary and maybe after that a president.

    What do you want your journey to be like in the future?

    ~Sophia

  12. Dear Mrs. Donofrio,
    I have never heard the quote, ” variety is the spice of life,” but I really like it because it has a great meaning. The meaning of it is, don’t be boring, make your life interesting. I also liked the video by Kid President. I never really thought about what my journey would be, but I think there is a great one waiting for me. I hope to be a teacher and a softball coach. I would like to be a teacher because all of the teachers I have had inspired me to become a teacher. I would like to be a softball coach because I play softball now and I really enjoy it. What/who inspired you to become a language arts teacher?

  13. Dear Mrs.Donofrio,
    I really like the quote ‘Variety is the spice of life’. I also liked the videos that you posted. I would like to be a teacher a science teacher. I would take a shorter path. Would you take a shorter path or a longer path?

    Love,
    Courtney

  14. Dear Mrs.Donofrio,

    Cool post. I love the video about “The Hundred Foot Journey”. What road would I take? I’m not sure. All I know is I want to be a chef when I grow up. Is that the road people take all the time or do people not take it that much? I’m not sure what the answer is yet but I still want to try and find out. Wish me luck finding the answer.

    Your student,
    Shane

  15. Dear Mrs. Donofrio,
    I loved all of your videos and the quote ” Variety is the spice of life”. My journey in life is to be the best person that I can be and to succeed in life. First I would love to go to a great college. My dream colleges that I would like to go to are Princeton, Auburn, St.Leo, or University of Central Florida. During college I would work at Disney World in the summer. I would like to get a degree in either zoology or in literature so I could become an author. Then I would get married and have a big Italian family.
    If you could do anything in life what would it be? Are you proud of the journey you have taken?

  16. Dear Mrs.Donofrio,
    I have never seen The Hundered Foot Journy. I plan on watching it over the weekend. During my journey I plan to go to Colardo and go to collage there and see my family. Then I plain to get a degree in acting. While I’m in college I’ll join my brothers band. Then I will get married and have kids.

    What road will you pick?

    ~~lizzy

  17. Hello Mrs. Donofrio
    I liked your post very much. I have never seen the movie The Hundred Foot Journey put I will see it soon hopefully.

    I have never heard the saying “variety is the spice of life”, but I like a lot. I have not even considered what my journey is going to be, but I better start because life goes by quick. I would take the least traveled road because I like surprises. Hopefully my journey won’t turn out to be boring.
    What do you think your life would’ve been like if you hadn’t picked the road you did pick?

  18. Dear Mrs. Donofrio,
    I loved that blog! You used lots of great details and specifity. I haven’t heard the saying “Variety is the spice of life”, but it is very interesting. When I grow older, I want to be a dancer, gymnast, or an interior designer. I don’t know which one yet of course because it depends how good I am at it. If I am going to be an interior designer, I would go to the New York school of Interior Design. If you didn’t have the choice of being a language arts teacher, what would you have been?

  19. My journey in life would be active. I will play football at Venice high, then I will try to get a scholarship to kent state just like all my cozens did. Then I’d get drafted to the NFL as a safety or a wide receiver. And if all that doesn’t work out “even though it probably will” I will be a language arts teacher and do all Mrs. Donofrio dose, but spice it up little.

  20. My journey would be very long,but it wouldn’t be a one hundred foot journey but it will be in the middle. My journey would hopefully be getting a scholarship to some kind of Law Enforcement College and become a police officer.Then my goal from there is to become a sheriff. This would probably be a long journey.
    If you did this journey do you think it would be long?

  21. Hey Mrs. Donofrio!

    My name is Will, I am a student of the Huzzah Blog. I am new in blogging so I am sorry in advance if this comment isn’t the best. But lets talk about Kid President, I have seen this video before many times and I love it, It has such enthusiasm. I wonder why he decided to make this video?

    From, Will.

    • Hi Will,
      I’m so glad that you are starting to blog. I’m sure you will love making connections with kids all over the world.
      I also really like Kid President. Guess who introduced me to the videos Kid President makes? Your teacher, Ms. Smith! She had a welcome back to school video from Kid President last year, I think. Since then, I have watched a few other Kid President videos. I like his message and his enthusiasm, too. I think he makes the videos with his brother-in-law. Perhaps he is the one who comes up with the topics for the videos.
      Where have you seen Kid President before?
      ~Mrs. Donofrio

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